By Ieva Kuraitytė, LRT.lt.

During one of the largest attacks on western Ukraine on July 30, a Russian missile crossed into Polish airspace for the first time before crashing on Polish territory. Yet, Poland’s response was restraint – was that a mistake?

Warsaw decided not to shoot down the Russian missile while it was in Polish airspace, arguing that it posed no immediate threat. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Poland had been prepared to intercept it if it had continued farther into the country.
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Although experts understand the decision from a safety perspective, they warn that failing to respond decisively to an incident of this scale sets a dangerous precedent. In their view, it demonstrates that Russia can exploit NATO airspace for its operations and manoeuvres without facing consequences.
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“Declarations of ‘readiness to shoot down missiles should they advance further’ do not solve the problem of the systemic penetration of Russian strike assets deep into territories whose security NATO guarantees,” aviation expert Bohdan Dolintse told LRT.lt.
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Warsaw confirmed that a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile entered eastern Poland and exploded there. The missile carried a substantial explosive payload. Fortunately, it landed in an uninhabited area and caused no casualties.

Read more: LRT.LT